unit

2 Work and leisure

videoconferencing
this is my job
Before you read
1 Answer these questions about yourself.
a) What time does your day start?
b) Do you work best in the morning or in the afternoon? Why?

2 Use a dictionary to match the words (1–4) to the correct definitions (a–d).
1 administration a) being alone or away from other people
2 solitude b) things that interest you very much
3 maximising c) making something as strong as possible
4 passions d) doing paperwork and other things in the office

Reading
Read this article adapted from the Financial Times and answer the questions on the next page.

level of difficulty
TEXT BANK

Business diary: Johan Roets

as told to Jude Webber

Johan Roets is Head of Personal
and Business Banking for the
Americas at Standard Bank. He is
based in Buenos Aires.
5 Johan says, “I don’t really have
a typical day. Sometimes I have a
conference call with the executive
committee at 3 a.m. – there is a
five-hour time difference with
10 our head office in Johannesburg.
Usually, the Argentine day
doesn’t start until 10 a.m. or
11 a.m. I do my best thinking
in the morning and my best
15 administration in the afternoon.
“I go to South Africa every
couple of months. What I love
about travel is the solitude
to think and read. I don’t
20 like meetings – they can be
incredibly unproductive – and
I try to avoid them. I sit on two
boards and typically have six or
eight meetings a week.
25 “The way I pay attention to
things is to write them down. I
buy notebooks and take them
everywhere. I write whenever
I can during the day, and I go
30 back and highlight important bits.
“I think the great secret in life
– and business – is to focus on
maximising your strengths, not
improving your weaknesses. My
35 passions are business, technology
and people.”

134 © Pearson Education Limited 2012 photocopiable

M13A_MARK_TBR_ELEGLB_9737_U13.indd 134 23/10/2012 10:40

 TEXT BANK •• unit 2

1 Decide whether these sentences about Johan Roets are true (T)
or false (F).
a) He works in a bank. T
b) He is usually based in Argentina.
c) Every day is the same for Johan.
d) He often gets up late to make business calls.
e) He regularly travels to South Africa.
f ) He has more than five meetings every week.
g) He never uses notebooks.
h) He has three main interests.

2 Complete the sentences below using the words in the box.

afternoon five six ten three two

a) J ohan sometimes has a conference call at three o’clock in the morning.

b) There is a -hour time difference between Argentina and South Africa.
c) I n Argentina, the working day usually starts at in the morning.
d) In the , he works on administration.
e) H
 e usually goes to South Africa every months.
f ) Johan usually has or eight meetings each week.

3 Put these words in the correct order to make questions.

TEXT BANK
a) get up? / What / time / you / do
What time do you get up?
b) start / When / you / do / work?
c) meetings / have? / do you / How many
d) use / you / a notebook? / Do
e) to travel? / you / Do / like

Over to you
Discuss in pairs or small groups.
• Do you have a typical day?
• What are your interests?
• What do you like or dislike about travel?

photocopiable © Pearson Education Limited 2012 135

M13A_MARK_TBR_ELEGLB_9737_U13.indd 135 23/10/2012 10:40